Her Initiation
by Radical.2
Summary: "Your Task..." Katie mused, lightbulbs flashing on and off in her head. What to do, what to do...And then she knew. "Your Task, Hermione Granger, is to ask this boy that you hate, Draco Malfoy, to marry you."
1. First Tasks Given

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**First: I'd just like to say that I'm expecting this story to have pretty short chapters, so please don't complain. I'm been very busy lately and hardly ever get time to write.**

**Second: Just realized that I sounded quite hostile, sorry about that.**

**Third: This idea came upon me when my English teacher was telling us about her daughter's college initiation, where the sophmores made the freshmen do all this crazy stuff. Of course, I had to wonder what it would be like if it was Potter-fied...**

**Fourth: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Fifth: I still have no idea what the pairings will be for this, but hopefully by the time I finish this chapter I will. You will probably already know from looking at it when it's already been written. Lucky ducks...**

**Sixth: Also, the updates will likely be hectic, as I could write two chapters one day and none for a week, so I shall apologize in advance.**

**Seventh: Why am I even numbering these? Maybe because it's easier to read or something, not quite sure.**

**Eighth: On with the story!**

**Ninth: I Just remembered, this story will be a bit AU (Alternate Universe). Voldemort actually did die when he attacked Harry- in baby form- but don't worry. The Slytherins are still big meanies, although not Death Eaters.**

**Tenth: Is this the longest author's note you have ever read? Most likely, I assume. Sorry about that.**

**Eleventh: I am going to shut up now.**

Hermione Granger was relieved, after all of that worrying about the sorting, it had been easy, almost. And now she would head off to her new dormitory to what would hopefully be a nice long sleep. She had to be nice and awake for tomorrow, as it was hard to pay attention in class if you were asleep-she had learned this from experience.

She followed the Head Girl's herd of first years that included Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, Padma Patil, and a few other girls, too. She saw the boys and a prefect enter Gryffindor tower through a portrait of a rather large woman, assuming that they would do the same. She was wrong.

A large group of Gryffindor girls- mostly second and third years, Hermione thought- descended upon them, and they were suddenly all surrounded by a swirl of red and gold and black. There were anxious whispers and exuberant laughter everyone; it was very confusing. She felt herself and the rest of the group being herded along the halls of Hogwarts. Hermione, of course, took note of every corridor and set of stairs she saw, as it would not do to get lost on her way to class.

They were all rushed into an empty classroom; there were no desks, it was just empty space. They were instructed to sit down on the floor, while the older girls impaciently paced back and fourth throughout the room. One girl, the Head Girl, stood with a kind of magesty and leadership that was instantly recognizable. She was at the front of the room, waiting for everyone to be quiet. This had to be quick, or else a male teacher could come along and give them all detention.

The Head Girl took out her wand, flicking it in the air. A cold draft went through the room, and all was quiet, then. They all looked to her, and she said, loud and clear, "What we are about to tell you is one of the most secret secrets of this school, of the Magical World, even. If you breathe a word of this to any male or other house member, be they muggle, squib, wizard, witch, or animal, you _will_ suffer the consequences." She sounded quite stern, and Hermione was staring at her with widen eyes, a bit frightened. What could possibly be happening?

The Head Girl cleared her throat and began again, saying, "Every Gryffindor female to ever walk the grounds of Hogwarts has had to do this, as will you. Welcome," she said with a dazzling smile, "to the official Hogwarts Gryffindor Girls Initiation!" The room suddenly erupted into whispers, but the cool wind came again and they were all silenced. The Head Girl continued, "No other house has ever been known to do this, though a few muggle schools have done variations. First, you will be split into four groups of four each, and your leaders will go on from there."

Ten minutes later, after names had been called out many times, the groups were settled. Hermione was with Parvati Patil and two girls who she did not yet know the names of. There were four older girls, two second-years and two third-years, they had told her. The older ones, one of whom was called Katie Bell, another Angelina Johnson, explained it all to them.

The Initiation was a tradition that was very, very old. The idea was that, since Gryffindors were known for their bravery, they would each have a "Master." Each Master, a second or third-year girl, would give her "Slave" a task once a day, and they were almost always told to do crazy stunts. There were rules, however. If a Task involved a professor, it would have to be one from Gryffindor. Currently the only one was a Ms. Minerva McGonagall, who was told to be stern, but had always secretly loved participating in the Initiation. No Task could alert an Un-Believer- males or other house members, as previously stated- to what was happening. No major violence, though minor was acceptable.

After a while first-years grew weary of the endless list of rules, so their Masters cut to the chase, announcing the Slave and Master pairings. Hermione was to be slave to Katie Bell, who was apparently a Chaser on their house's Quidditch team. She was a third-year, and was known for her insanely fun Taks; a few girls grinned at Hermione in anticipation. What would this poor girl have to do? There was an entire week to do this, which meant seven dares. This was sure to be interesting.

The first day had just started, and Katie got closer to Hermione, trying to decide which of her Tasks would be best suited for the girl. Katie asked, "Is there anybody so far that has appeared to be someone worthy of hatred? You seem to have a lot of wrath in you, anyone?" Hermione took mere seconds to think about it, as one memory stood out clearly against all the others. Sure, Ron Weasley and that Harry Potter had been quite irritating, but she could easily deal with them. No, there was only one person that seemed unlikeable, if not hateable.

"Draco Malfoy," blurted Hermione, narrowing her eyes at the memory of him and his mocking smirk. She had heard someone say that he was "dateable" on the train, some slutty Ravenclaw. More like hateable, thought Hermione with a wry smile in her mind. He was just so mean! "He's an arrogant...I can't say it," she confessed, "but it's a bad word."

"Just once," urged Katie, "To get it out of your system."

"He's a bloody prat, that's what he is," whispered Hermione, finding that it felt quite satisfactory.

"Your Task..." Katie mused, lightbulbs flashing on and off in her head. What to do, what to do...And then she knew. "Your Task, Hermione Granger, is to ask this boy that you hate, Draco Malfoy, to marry you." Katie grinned at her idea, she was just so creative, wasn't she! Perhaps she was better suited for Slytherin, but she was too brave for _that_.

"Excuse me?" asked Hermione, an arrogant lilt in her voice. "I refuse to do such a thing."

"Ah, but do you know what happens if you don't?" taunted Katie.

Hermione's eyebrows shot up, and she quivered, "What?"

"Terrible things..." replied Katie mysteriously, pleased that the girl actually believed her. No one really knew what happened if you refused a Task, death was rumored, along with curses and the such. "Now, get to work. This has to be memorable. Oh, and one more thing? I'll have to Magic-Tape it, you need to have it documented or else who knows what will happen to you."

"Okay," squeaked Hermione, clutching the book she had been holding to her chest. She turned to leave, to follow everyone else, when Katie called her name again. She stopped.

"Take this," said Katie, tossing her a cheap ring she had purchased, just for the occasion, of course. Hermione dropped it as she caught it, but swiftly stuffed it in her pocket. Sure, it wasn't the most appealing of Tasks, but she was a _Gryffindor_, and brave, at that. She would pass this Task with flying colors. And then a terrible thought struck her like lightning:

What if he said yes?

**Twelth: Should I continue, my friends?**

**Thirteenth: Reviews appreciated, hint, hint.**


	2. The Order of DVJ

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Fourteenth: I was going to make this chapter even shorter than it currently is, but all you reviewing people changed my mind! Thanks to:**

**hot chocolate mess**

**Tigereyedgirl**

**LonerByChoice**

**Karate Chic**

**bookworm5114**

**twilightdreamer**

**LoVeDoNtHaTe**

**Kezz dog**

**Cakey Potter**

**pinapplesaregonnatakeover**

**Fifteenth: I am very excited.**

**Sixteenth: So excited, as a matter of fact, that I won't even sigh in jealousy as I write the seventeenth note!**

**Seventeenth: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Eighteenth: I would bet ten galleons that at least half of you readers are hoping that Draco will say yes to Hermione's proposal. You will see...**

**Nineteenth: Did that sound mysterious? It was supposed to.**

Draco Malfoy rolled over in his sleep; he was having a strange dream where the Giant Squid had eaten Harry Potter...it had been nice. Dreams were usually good, unless they were interrupted, of course. Even interrupted nightmares were bad, because the person who woke you up is staring at you like an idiot. You might wonder if you have screamed or something, and it is very confusing. Draco's dream, that night, had, as a matter of fact, been interrupted.

The Giant Squid was just about to decapitate Potter when all of a sudden some kind of magical force woke Draco up. He groaned loudly, wondering what was happening. Why was he standing up? The other first-years, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, and Crabbe and Goyle, of course, were also awake and up. Most looked confused, but Nott was grinning at them.

"My dad told me about this; it's supposed to be some crazy initiation or something," Nott informed them. "He told me that they give you the choice to run around the castle at midnight- by yourself, or do some other stunt. Most people only do the run if the other option is certifiably insane."

"Why?" asked Draco, confused. "What's so hard about running around the castle? Just figure out some charm to make yourself invisible?"

"We aren't good enough wizards, yet," said Nott with a grim smile, "and the reason it's so difficult is because they make you do it stark naked."

"Oh," Draco managed to get out, hoping he was not letting anyone know of his current terrified state. "Are you sure he wasn't just-"

He was cut off by the door slamming open, and standing there was a tall boy wearing a white and red hockey mask, his wand out. The boy looked like someone out of a muggle horror movie, which was why it was fun to dress up. None of the Slytherins ever knew why he dressed so oddly for Initiations, and no one really knew his identity. He was, in fact, a certain potions professor with greasy hair- in disguise. He himself had had to go through this, and had been trained in the secret art of thinking of Orders for the first-years. It was very fun, but not so much when a Task directly involved Severus Snape.

Not even Nott knew of this secret, and nobody ever would, unless, of course, they themselves were trained in the secret art. If Draco had known, he would have wondered- or demanded- why his own godfather had not told him. This was why it was kept a _secret_.

The tall boy said in a deep voice, completely unrecognizable, "Follow me." Draco could have sworn that he heard the fellow breathing, but he dismissed the thought. People could not breathe that loud, unless they used magic, or maybe a Magic-Darth-Vader-Voice-Changer from Zonko's. Probably the magic. The boy strode from the room, five little Slytherin boys following him.

They paraded through the common room, and the tall boy tapped his wand on the wall. A door appeared there with a quiet pop and opened with a creak. The tall boy walked inside, the boys still following him like ducklings. When they had all entered, the door popped behind them. Draco turned around to see that it was gone. He wondered how they were supposed to get out.

"You may all sit," instructed the tall boy, and when they were all doing so he began his annual speech. "You may all call me Darth Vader Jason. I was named after a powerful dark wizard long ago, and I expect you to treat me as much. Any questions?" Goyle raised a hesitant hand. "No? Let's go on, then."

Darth Vader Jason walked around them several times, surveying them like fresh meat. Draco rolled his eyes a little, wondering why DVJ- Darth Vader Jason- had to be so dramatic and mysterious. Who was he, anyway? And why hadn't his father told him about this? What _was_ this? Some kind of initiation?

DVJ started," I'll try to get through this quick so that you can get back to sleep or whatever you do at night." DVJ muttered something about sacrificing small animals to Salazar Slytherin under his breath. "First of all, tell anyone other than the people in this room about this, and you will die from the Cruciatus curse." A few widened eyes popped here and there throughout the room. "This is your Initiation. You will each be given one thing to do, or Order, and if you do not...same punishment as before. Any questions?"

Not a single boy dared to raise their hand in fear of angering DVJ. Not even Goyle, who was dying to know if anyone he knew had failed an Order. Draco was wondering what his Order would be, hoping that it would be a challenging one. He wanted to prove to everyone else that he was as cunning and sly as any Slytherin, even a seventh-year.

Darth Vader Jason then went on to explain that each of them would be given one Order, and if they didn't do it...Thedore Nott had already explained that bit. Each boy would have exactly one week to complete his Order before he died an extremely painful death...or an extremely embarrassing one. DJV started to announce the Orders, in alphabetical order, of course.

"Vincent Crabbe...go an entire day without eating, that'll be interesting...Gregory Goyle, same as Crabbe...Draco Malfoy," DVJ looked up, and through the mask you could see a curious, mischievous glint in his dark eyes that were strangely familiar..."You're to jump in the Black Lake and-" DVJ stopped, because an owl had just dropped a piece of parchment into his hands. He unrolled the scroll, which just happened to be signed a Miss Katie Bell. "Change of plans," he said, "Draco Malfoy, you are to ask the Granger- I mean, Hermione Granger to...marry you? Yes, marry you."

Draco then let out a string of curses only a dark wizard such as DVJ could understand. He added, "Just wait until-"

"Yes, yes, your father hears of this," interjected Darth Vader Jason, "But if your father hears of this, you will die, as he went to Durmstrang for his first four years, or so I am told, going through no Initiation. Now, Theodore Nott, you are to-"

"I'm not going to-" Draco started, getting up from the floor. He ended up tripping over someone's foot, falling and lightly bruising his toe. "I've been cursed!" he howled, "I'm going to die a painful death and then I'm never-"

"Shut your trap, will you? You tripped, it's not the end of the world. Why don't you just get an Anti-Clumsy potion or something, you Klutz," smirked Zabini, rolling his eyes at the boy who was now glaring ferociously at him. Draco spun around, then said, "Where's the door? I want to leave!"

DVJ irritably waved his wand, and the secret door popped back into the wall. Draco slammed the door behind him, or rather, tried to, anyway. The door popped away just before it hit the frame.

"These Orders get more and more interesting each year," muttered Darth Vader Jason sarcastically. Or shall I say, Severus Snape?

**Twentieth: Well, there you go. Hermione was supposed to pop the question this chapter, but now it's a bit messed up, courtesy of a Miss Katie Bell and, of course, myself. What will happen next? Will anyone review? Shall I continue?...**


	3. The First Proposal

**Twenty First: I'm back.**

Young Hermione Granger was restless in her sleep, waking up every few hours. Sometimes she felt like screaming, and at other times she felt like _kissing _Malfoy. Was being eleven always this unpredictable? she wondered absentmindedly when she had woken. Nobody else was awake, and when she looked out the window there was not a hint of the sun.

She wondered why she had to do this on her first day. After all, she had known the guy for hours, not even days, when she had blurted his name out to Katie. Why couldn't she just have said Ron or Harry instead? They were annoying enough, but Malfoy just had that spark of pure meanness, the kind she couldn't help but despise.

Hermione lightly got up, taking care to be silent as possible when she opened the door and closed it behind her. She stepped quickly down the staircase, biting her lip in humor when she saw Katie. The older girl was passed out on a scarlet colored couch, unfinished homework scattered across the floor.

She had until six tonight, it could wait, she thought. Hermione picked up Katie's quill and one essay assignment, writing and writing until she had finished it all and the sun was starting to dawn upon them. She sighed quietly, dropping the quill and putting the parchment where it had been before. She whispered in her Master's ear, "Why did you make me do this?" and then fell asleep, her head leaning on the side of the couch.

)_(

"Come on, you can do it, Granger! How hard could it be? Come on, Granger!" Katie cheered.

Hermione fingered the thin, metal ring in the pocket of her robes, her knees almost shaking. But when Katie said this, she froze, her eyes narrowing and looking up at the girl. Her eyes were troubled, yes, but there was an almost scary determination there, and she would do it, now. Hermione stood up taller, watching Malfoy walk around the Quidditch pitch with another boy, the Italian one.

She turned to Katie and replied softly, "That's what he calls me. Granger. Are you going to get rid of the Italian boy or should we wait?"

"We can't miss this chance, you've only got two hours left. Don't worry, though, I have a plan for Zabini. I met him at Diagon Alley, and I have some unfinished business to attend to with him."

Hermione raised her eyebrows, and said nothing but, "When?"

Katie ignored her, walking up to the two Slytherins, side by side with Zabini. She wrapped an arm around his waist, leading him off the Quidditch pitch, somewhere by the lake. Malfoy rolled his eyes in their direction, starting to whistle as he walked. Hermione took this time to run up to him and call his name as she went.

Malfoy, surprised, looked behind him. His eyes widened and he ignored her, walking hastily away. Hermione ran faster, and when she had caught up with him she snatched his arm. She could see Katie hiding in a bush, a large, magical camera set up on her shoulder. It was trained on them completely.

"Will you marry me, Draco Malfoy?" she asked quickly.

He didn't get a chance to respond, because suddenly his head got all dizzy. He could feel the blood pounding in his ears, and his breaths quickened and shortened all in a matter of seconds. He was supposed to ask her, not this way, and even worse was that he couldn't even say anything!

Malfoy wanted to sit down and curl up into a ball, but he had to show more dignity than that, of course. Malfoys did not do that sort of thing, even in private. Trying to ignore all the symptoms that led to the fact that he would likely faint, he replied, "Get away from me, Granger." His voice was so hoarse that you could barely make out the words. He took his arm back, as she had still been holding it. Probably the reason why he hadn't fallen over before.

"I suppose that would be a no," she whispered to herself, then turned to Katie, who was stepping out of the bush. Her robes snagged a bit, and she let out a short string of curses. Hermione widened her eyes, but said nothing. This was all just so weird.

"Bloody- I mean, Granger!" exclaimed Katie. "I forgot to start the camera! You'll have to do it again!"

Hermione hissed back angrily, "How about this, _Bell_? When _he _asks _me_, you can use your stupid camera and tape _that_!" Katie just grinned back, because she knew something that Hermione didn't know, but would- hopefully- soon find out.


End file.
